Shaft coupling for automatically variable speed ratios, particularly for motor cars



Feb. 5, 1935.

v. TONCICH I I 1,990,212

SHAFT COUPLING FOR AUTOMATICALLY VARIABLE SPEED RATIOS, PARTICULARLY FOR MOTOR CARS Filed April- 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a c M 15 k il f 13 17 EA? 11 -4 W3 1 a r I Al I AM m //I *W WMV Feb. 5, 1935 TONCICH 1,990,212

V. SHAFT COUPLING FOR AUTOMATICALLY VARIABLE SPEED RATIOS, PARTICULARLY FOR MOTOR CARS v Filed April 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 5,

invention wrelatesf j "c ntrblled '5 tioni onsistsi-bmedly i;

chi eh'ot theki dwherei eh utems ic ehenge the transmissi n medium of oentrifug entri u ah ovemors controllin m mber of a-tieisz bt inedo moush the swemorsehd the nvem th -emplo ment of tw who .h co ecperate w iththe re s inje utch and whi h 3151111 operative connection, one; with the d ivin shaft tand' the other withthe shaft;

' By th s erran ementthem dvantase is. obteihed that a rapid tightening of the clutch willbeget..-v fectediait r-the drivenfsheftheszccmmenced move,:end'e1so :thatsthe'zclutch wi:

he m rethen ordinarily yieid'eblepnmn incr ase since-then the 'tightness oi the ;cl ducedybyw the governor connected the driven- Fig. 1 of the arsec'ticnal view eta ventionyw; '1

-- Fig.,2;is.e;sectienal the :clutch; and

tempest; ammie-Retest clutch ecmrdinszto themiFiE'mB isxa. mmense Seattle the met clutchtakenatzrightamglesto'l ig"2 vided with loutwardly ithegsha'ft 4'2 "and pm? extending.-pins: :2 on which are,rotatablyimountedheyel wheels 3,'which mesh with a nbeveizlwheel A fixed "3E0 the driven; shaft;

. The piston IIOdSjfi of;

the pistonsahyoperating in the cylinders 8, engage: crank pins 5 of the bevel wheels "3.- The cylinders B are rigidly, connected With"'the'T'S1ee V11;! Preferably twoi or more bevel wheels Sand-pumps '7,-8" are employedi: The :beyel t wheelA' 'is integralwith aacasfing' .9, 1 enclosing the entire coupling-arrangement and'filied with liquid.

The cylinder heads 10 are provided with ports 11 for. the "outlet :of the'lliquidrlispiaeed cbyfi the pise tons.

shaftl".

12::is disposed hevposite i The cover 12:15. ewe-devises is which suit;

rounds the zlriv ingi -tshaft" through the casing 9: which moves on'the' and? f-wi'iich 'lprojects .i A centrifugal governor :D?

is 'in' operative...connection the :idrivenr shaft mas arsliding holler, :18 drivingi shaftfand which. is

adatited to not on thesleevelm vtoriiclosing "the ports:1 1 on'the ha;1is-= 15 bein trifugalactionx Another'centrif-ugal governor'C' spreadout by men? is in operative connection withlfthex'driving "shaft to which :ituis secure 1L5 throushitheemcdium drby means oiaie'collar '13. orthesgoyernor A61. is cone which :messure spio'nse totheiaction: of

' he-theme ei Qnthe collar 1? oithesever erp when he-be ls Mere prea witt ent fu a ac ion-m arrangement o er tes in -=;th l owins mann r; wh theishe Ai'is rotait di'th bevel wheels fiddly r tateon. the beve at; f rst i immeve e n view-- oithe moment of res stance tendis :tmarres -thesshaft B; and drive e p ton 7-;by-lmeans-r f: the crank pin fien -piston rods 6.: vThereforethepistons;,dtlrirlg. their movement towards the open endsiofxthe cyl=- inders 8, -drawin liquid. tromcthe casing; 9throngh spr n rl aded; valveszozarrangedxin the cylinder heads l0= andidurin gtheir return rnovemfint force out the liquidi thr uehith portsf :11, which tak place-withoutianyyopstructicn :whatevera-as long as no throttling is effected by the closure mem ber;.; 1 2.- Ithie rotationoof .zthe-sbevelfwheels 3 181 11101; ;;hampered by a resistance io'n thetlpartgof the pump 7,18 :and thereforeithe rbevel-z' wheels 3 do notkcause the rotation pf the-bevel wheel 4 ;and

Ofljthfl shattrB. However ifthe ports 11-;are shut;gradually-byithel ,closure imiem'ber 12 3119a onemor rboth centrifugal governors :61, D'rthereby throttling the discharge of liquid, the speedof rotation of the bevel wheels 3 isfrleduced aowingxtoizthe -mo mentx,of: resistance exerted =on'1theirlcrank pins 5 by the pistons ;7 ,--an i now the shaft @A' exerts;a tcorrespondingj moment of rotation-eon the bevel wheel 4 xii-thershaft B; II the ports l l "are :eIosed-entirely: byv theelosure memberv 12, the operation .pf itherpistons within thecylinders 8 :is .stopped owing ;to 'theimpos'sh bilit'y 1 ofsc'ompressing the: liquid; therefore the bevel whee1s:-are'immoab1e with; respect to the driving shaft A and the coupling is rigid between both shafts; 7 0n' rotaton of the" shhft A the bevel wheels 3 are braked *in view er theaetion' -ofj the ri u mQ Z e d, the a 'B J is gr d y s i ot ier lw 1 e siqr LJ'Q KS: b we ieldin nd m et ensue her t s.

different speed ratio is established automatishaft 22 and the piston rods 25. As long as the member 32 m v What I claim is liquid drawn in by thepistons from the casing 28 by w ybr; h i el a a smseturi s i obstructed through the passages 2'7," the casing 29, containing the cylinders and carrying a beg/ el toothed rim, 31 adapted to mesh with a bevel wheel 30 on the shaft B", is; not-"disturb'edi its position of rest. Howeverdf the passages 27 be shut by the closure member 32 and consequently the pistons arrested in thecylindersnthei,

entire turning'moment of the mitted to the'shaft B"; 1 The axial movement ofthe closure niemberj32is shat A? i sa s:-

eflected by' the centrifugal governors Q. jandj'DC The centrifugal governor C"-is' rigidly connected withthe crank shaft 22 andgduring-the outward movement "of -its balls 38, subjects the rolling hearing" 33' and "thus also the slidable" closure member 32 to an axial pressure. 'At; the same time'the centrifugal governor D isconnected with the cylinder-casing 29 and consequently with the shaft'B' and, during the outward; move ment-of'its balls 39, 'directlyoperatesthe closure the direction of [closing the passages 27; a w

' In order to prevent the sucking in of liquid through the passages-2'1 bythe action of the pistons, the channels leading thereto areprefer ably closed automatically-- and 5 simultaneously with the opening "of the "spring-loaded i suction valves 26:. I" 3, Thus the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 operates substantially in the same way asthe arrange-T ments illustrated in Fig. l.

shaft :A'-" increases' so that "it's "centrifugal The speed of the governor 'C'" compensates the reduction in the axial pressure of the centrifugal govemor on the shaft'B", in thee'vent of the resistance of'the shaft 3'. being so in'creased that itsfspeed is reduced and its throttlingaction weakenedowing to theg-decreasing eflect of; the centrifugal governor D"". both: "shafts iareiuadjusted automatically momentof resistance to be'over'comeii w Iniorder to adapt. the construction according to Fig; 2 for-reversing, the bevel wheel 2liisl-proe vided witha second bevel ,wheel 34' which can-.be placed into'iinesh withv the bevelywheel-3 'l 'by axially ishiftingthe wheel21 zbyr'means of the lever'35.' i i All valves can be liftedand held openwsimul-v taneously -by lifting'of thering 36, in whiclrcase the wholegear operates without any internal resistance; h q g H It-.is.of advantage to make the centrifugal governors, associatedvvwith ,the driven; shaft heavier thanthe centrifugal governors associated with the driving shaft, in order that they/still act on the'throttle even, when the speed t me former has been reduced considerably." a

1. A centrii'ugally controlledfluid clutch com prising in combination a. casing, a'driving shaft, a driven shaft,a supply of "fluid in the said'ca's ins, Dumping means driven'by the said driving shaft andadapt'ed to ':irculate]the said fluid;

' outlets 'in' 'the' said means, a closure member adapted to control the flow through'thesa'id out- IetSQtransn iSsiQn-gearing between the said means and the's'aid driven shaft, a centrifugal governor to the speed-corresponding tozthe associated with the said driving shaft and adapted to act upon the said closure member,

and a centrifugal governor associated with the said driven shaft and likewise adapted to act upon the said closure member, the total revolving mass of the said centrifugal governor associated with the--driven shaft of greater weight ihantb Qtal, evolvin MSSZ'QHM s li s associated with the driving shaft.

A centrifugally controlled fluid clutch clain ed in claim l in which the said closure membenfconiprisesagsleeve slidable on the said drivingjshaft and'faflangejportion on the said s'leeveadaptedtdclose and disclose the said outletsiiand-in'whichithe said governors are mounted in jux apqsitionon the said driving shaft. r

, ficentrifugally' controlled fluid clutch as clal ed 'in claim 1 in which the saidgovernors are provided with sliding collars and in which the collar of the driving shaft governor carries an anti-friction thrust b'e'arine and is adapted to act by means 3 of *the: said bearing on' the' collar of;

the driven shaft governor, so thatthe action of the said governors is additivef a 4'. A centrifugally"controlled fluitl clutch as claimed in claim-1 in which the said driven shaft is -integral' with' 'the said casing andthe said transmission gearing comprisesa gear wheel attached to the said casing and-planet wheels connected tothe movingl part s of said l 5. A centrifugally nuid clutch claimed" in claim 1 inwhich the meanscomprise -a housing," cylinders in the said f-housing, and pistons adapted to'tr'avel in the said -cylinders', -and in which the said 'outlets 'are provided in the said housin of the said cylinders-: a a a 6.' A* centrifugally rcontrolled fluid clutch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising arr iir'iter;

t the head of mediate shaft-f'orthe saidpumping' means disposed substantially at right'angles tci-thesaid clutch fdriving shaft, xthef'said .;:closure member and centrifugal-governorsibeing mounted'on the said interi'ne'd'iate driving shaft; bevel transmission' gearing" between :i'th'e' said' driving shaft and intermediate drivinglshaft, inlet-apertures inithe said pumping means; spring-loadedzvalves' controlling the said 'inlet. apertures, I and means ,for automatically closing theisaid outlets in depend enceoni the opening ofthesaidvalves; 5' -7. A centrifugally controlled-fluid clutch as claimed-in claim 1, further comprising": an-finte'rs' mediatedriving shaft for the said pumping means disposedsubstantiallyat right angles tofthe said clutch driving'i ishaft,'iz.the -said closure member and centrifugalgovernors: being mounted on the said intermediate jdriving shaft, iibevel, transmission I gearing "between! the :s'aid clutch fdriving I shaft: and intermediate: shaft,;meansifor reversing thef'direction of rotation of .the-isaid intermediate? driving; shaft relativiely tor the said clutch drivingash'aft; inletfaper'tures in "the said pumping means;:spring-loaded valves controlling the 'said'rinlet :fapertures; and; means: for .auto-' inatically closing: the said outlets. in dependence o'nithe'opening' of the-"said valves;

:2 J38. A .cntrifugally. controlled fluid; clutch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising aniinter- I mediate driving "shaft: forlthe-said pumping means disposed substantially at'rightrangles to the said clutch driving :shaft; the c'said clos'ure inember and centrifugal Fgoverribrs being-mounted 'on the said interme'diate driving shaft, bevel transmis si'o'n'gearing between saidclutch driving shaft closing the said outlets in dependence on the'opening of the said valves, means for lifting the said valves simultaneously, and hand operating means for actuating the said reversing means and valve lifting means.

VICTOR TONCICH. 

